SCHOOL OF LAW

Xavier Rodriguez

Lee Yeakel

AUSTIN, Texas—Two graduates of The University of Texas at Austin School of Law have received lifetime appointments to the federal bench in Texas. They are Xavier Rodriguez, '87, and Lee Yeakel,'69, both appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.

Judge Rodriguez was nominated to the bench by President George W. Bush on May 1 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on July 31. Rodriguez, a partner with Fulbright & Jaworski and a former Texas Supreme Court justice, officially began his federal judicial duties on Aug. 18 in the San Antonio division of the Western District of Texas.

On Oct. 28, Rodriguez will be sworn in as a federal district judge, along with Frank Montalvo, during a joint investiture ceremony at 4 p.m. at the Municipal Auditorium in San Antonio. Rodriguez fills the vacancy created when Judge Edward Prado, a 1972 UT Law grad, was named to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Prior to his appointment, Rodriguez was a partner in Fulbright & Jaworski's San Antonio office where he has worked since 1987, focusing on the areas of labor and employment law and general litigation. He also served as a member of the U.S. Army Reserves until 1993. In August 2001, Rodriguez was appointed by Gov. Rick Perry to the Texas Supreme Court, where he served until November 2002.

In addition, he has held leadership positions in both community and professional organizations. He is a board member of the National Association for the Advancement of Minorities in Technology, a former chairman of the South San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, and a former president of the Harvard Club of San Antonio and Respite Care of San Antonio.

Judge Yeakel, who resides in the Austin division of the court, was nominated to the bench by President Bush on May 1 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on July 28. On Sept. 24, Yeakel was sworn in as a federal district judge by U.S. District Judge James Nowlin, a 1963 graduate of UT Law and whom Yeakel is replacing on the court.

As many as 650 people attended Yeakel's investiture ceremony at the LBJ Auditorium at UT Austin. UT System Chancellor Mark Yudof was among those delivering remarks at Yeakel's investiture.

Preceding his appointment, Yeakel served five years as a judge on the Texas Court of Appeals for the 3rd District of Texas. Prior to that, he spent 29 years in private practice in Austin, most recently as a partner with the firm of Clark, Thomas & Winters.

He is also very active in the community, serving on the boards of the Austin Rotary Club, the West Austin Youth Association, the Austin Choral Union, and the Committee for Wild Basin Wilderness.